Basically, when the ISS goes down (or, well, in… hopefully in a controlled way!), it’s not like space is going to be empty. There are already a few projects lined up to take its place. The most interesting thing to me is who is involved.

You’ve got China with Tiangong, which is already up there and will be the biggest station when the ISS is gone. That’s a statement, right? Then you’ve got the commercial side – Axiom, Starlab, and Haven-2. Axiom is super cool because they’re planning trips now, like space tourism is already here. Starlab sounds fancy with Hilton designing the interior! And then there’s India entering the chat with Bharatiya Antariksha, which is awesome to see.

But the one that seems closest to the ISS spirit of collaboration is the Lunar Gateway. Orbiting the Moon with multiple countries involved? That feels like the natural next step in international space exploration.

Honestly, it’s hard to say if it’ll be more collaborative or competitive. There’s definitely a mix. Countries like China and India are doing their own thing, while projects like Lunar Gateway are keeping the collaborative flame alive. Private companies also shake things up – will they partner with governments, or will they be vying for dominance? It’s all really exciting and a bit uncertain. I think it means more opportunities for space research, and more potential for us to go further than ever before – maybe even beyond the Moon! Let’s see what the future will hold.